Chaotic Compulsions
by Aiwethryne
Summary: She felt like the world was conspiring against her. She thought her only way out was to escape. She blamed her life on a single person and would do anything for her revenge... Seles, AU
1. Chapter 1

**Whoo… I was not on the computer for only one day, and I find I have twenty-seven e-mails in my inbox… How very interesting… Well, this is my 3****rd**** AU, yay. This is going to be a bit shorter than I really wanted it to be since I am fearful that this computer will die on me again. And sorry to disappoint all of you curious ToTA people reading this because this is for Symphonia. I really don't want to state that in the summary. Oh, yeah. For all of you speedy readers, I suggest you read slower to get the sort of sense of "drama" I want you to have.**

_Prologue_

The calming shades of orange, pink, yellow, and gold slowly filled the simple room and got brighter as the minutes went by. A mirror on one end, hanging over a redwood drawer. A coat rack standing by the only door, solely used to hang a large straw hat aloft the stone floor. A wooden chair against the wall… The soothing light soon fell on a lone figure sitting silently on a bed in the corner of the room. She had locks of pink hair that brushed past her neck; her head was tilted toward her hands in grief… Or was it anger…?

Her delicate hands were settled on her thick dress, her thin fingers wrinkling the top brown layer of linen. The sapphire orbs attached to the metal bands around her sleeved wrists stared at her like two following eyes… Eyes of pain… She gritted her teeth as her hands pulled on her dress, pinching it stressfully.

_'I have to get away… I must escape from here…'_ The girl, no older than her early teens, carefully lifted herself from on top of the crimson red mattress of her bed and intently made her way to the single-panel window at the opposite end of her room. She held one of the curtains wide open, letting more of the sun's rays to flood the room as she mutely gazed out to the pristine waters of the sparkling blue sea and beyond.

_'Why am I forced into confinement in this… this prison…?_ A prison, it was. Not allowed to enter the world that cursed her into solitude on that island, far away from any town or people. A place where nothing seemed to change after days past. Locked, with no way out except to commit such a treason. Was this merely because of who she is…? Her heritage?

The sunlight dimmed as it fell into the horizon. The area around her darkened, just like her mood. Her complexion reflected off of the crystal-clean glass to reveal her unnaturally pale skin and longing pale blue eyes. A lock of her velvety pink bangs fell over her un-blemished face, but that was the least of her worries.

_'Do I really deserve such a treatment? …Am I the one at fault…?'_ She had pondered over such thoughts often, given the several days of silence she spent there. She frowned, shaking her head slightly. _'No… This- My punishment… This is all because of one person… This is because of __him__.'_

She promptly stepped back, her hand clenched to her side, and glared angrily back at her reflection. The form on the window pane warped and twisted. There, watching her was an older red-haired male wearing and unfaltering grin that she despised worst of all… or, at least, that is what she convinced herself. She glared at it with much hatred; the bitter anger in her eyes welled up, almost to shatter the glass by a whim. She stiffly kept her place and hissed, "I hate you… _Zelos_…"

She did not say another word, nor move at all. It was like the feelings she suppressed for so long would burst out once more, yet nothing happened.

…She made her choice…

**Well, that was twenty minutes of typing. So what'd you think? Sucky? Okay? I don't care, just review. But if you like it already, I should tell you that I probably will not update this story for a month or two. So don't be expecting another one soon. Uh, for another heads up, I may alternate between 3****rd**** person and 1****st****. Just be wary of that.**

**Review!**


	2. Calling the Sky

_I should update this, shouldn't I…? I had a deadline to finish this by the 7__th__, but that was short lived. I've been too preoccupied with playing games and watching anime. (Yes, they consume much of my life.) Other than that, I've been flat out lazy. Sorry. And I haven't even been on the net since I updated one of my other stories. (nods) Yeah… Oh, and for those of you who did not make the inference already, this is a Seles story. This chapter will be in Seles's POV. Yay!_

…_I always seem to forget to say the disclaimer. So… I, Dawnstarshine, do not own Tales of Symphonia!! Gasp!_

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_Calling the Sky_

_I cannot remember what it feels like to have the tempered water running over my feet as the gentle blue waves rush on to the shore. No more can I recall the way the fine sand piled up between my toes when I stood on the beach. I want to be wrapped in the warm sunlight and watch the clouds go by, just as I did as a young child. I long to touch the rough, caressed surface of the trees and hear the light rustle the leaves made when the midday breeze blew them effortlessly… But this is all part of my fleeting memory that I cannot seem to restore…_

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"It's time to wake up, Miss Seles!" A thin, feminine hand nudged at my side, prodding me to get up. She lifted the covers from off of me and continued to bother me. I groaned, turning over. "Ah, it's no time to be sloth. It's morning." That's exactly why I don't want to wake up… I hate mornings…

"…Go away…" I blindly shooed at her, unwilling to open my eyes. But, of course, she never left my side.

She sighed loudly. "…You know I won't leave until you get up." …She never gives up until she wins… I found it was useless trying to sleep in now. I probably wouldn't get any more rest with her around, anyway. So I lazily sat upright. My whole body felt stiff, my shoulders sore. Rubbing one of my eyes, I yawned and stretched my other arm. Ugh… The morning adrenalin… I have a headache now…

The sunlight was at full blast through my window. The shades were wide open and I had to squint before my eyes adjusted enough. I could hear the songs of the birds soaring through the air and was filled with more energy. And then I inhaled deeply in hope that I could smell the sweet scent of the flowers.

I looked to the left of my bed where one of the maids, Claire, greeted me with her always-smiling face as I cleared my vision. Her turquoise eyes glimmered like the ocean itself. Her chestnut hair was up in a bun, her bangs cut just above her eyes. But her expression had less of a smile and more of a grim smirk. That look was probably enough to make the average person think that someone staring at you when you got up in the morning was rather disturbing, but I was already accustomed to this.

"…Honestly…" Claire crossed her arms with a bundle of cloth draped over one of them. "That is no way for a young lady, such as yourself, to be behaving." She shook her head in disappointment. But I am well aware of what everyone expects of me. I am supposed to be prim and proper. I cannot deal with things not meant for girls. I must live up to my name and pay the dept I have to the lineage that I carry in my blood… I'm only ten, yet I have a lot of weight on my shoulders. I wanted to say something, but when I opened my mouth, I yawned instead and decided not to speak.

I set my hands on my lap and watched Claire place a dress on my bed. It was the usual kind: poofy and not so cooling during the summer. I don't really mind wearing it too much. It's just not what I would prefer to wear when the weather is hot like today. …And it is not like I have so much of a say in what I wear.

Claire flattened it out and stepped back. "Now, Miss Seles. I'll leave your clothes here. Come out when you are ready for breakfast." She nodded in a slight bow and made her way out of my room.

I stared at the dress for about a minute, not moving from my current position. Mmm… Long sleeves… No sight of conditioning… Just great… But I knew that sooner or later, I will need to get out of my sleeping gown and put on that dress. I sighed and flopped my head back against my pillow.

…I hate mornings…

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The maids prepared a simple breakfast for everyone. Sunny side-ups with rice and orange juice. I brought my spoon and fork out to the plate holding the eggs and scooped one up, placing it on my dish. The rest of the food was taken by the priestess, nuns, and servants. And, yes. That means I eat with all of them. I really don't mind eating with them. Just as long as it's not the guards. They eat someplace else, thank goodness. Besides, we have a small dining room in the corner of the abbey. It's not like we could fit so many people here. It's crowded as is.

The way this area was designed was supposed to be reminiscent of a middle-class dining area. There was one rectangular window on one of the walls. Since we usually get plenty of sunlight all throughout the day, there was little need for candles. We sat on simple wooden chairs and ate on a like-wise wooden table. There were a couple paintings in this room of boats that the priestess painted a while back. The floor of the entire abbey was granite, even though that type of stone is expensive. Basically everything in this abbey in the middle of nowhere was to give off a sense of home, even though I never truly considered it as such.

Anyway, before eating we did a prayer; the same exact prayer we made every day of every year. This is a house of Martel, of course. After saying Grace, we finally ate. Much of the meal was a quiet one, as always. There was just nothing really for anyone to say. I played with my food part of the time, poking at the yoke and watching the yellow goo ooze out. Nothing especially interesting.

Once I finished breakfast, it was time for my lessons. There was no extra space for a classroom, so we used the chapel area instead. I sat in the front row of seats and had a little desk just for my use.

It was the priestess who taught me the things I would have learned in school. She was quite knowledgeable and was a former teacher before coming here. She preferred that I call her by her first name, Marissa, and she did the same for me. Her sleek, black hair was always down and level with her shoulders. She wore the traditional priest's robe and had glasses to aid her sight. But she was kind of short; only about half a foot taller than me and somewhat wrinkled with age.

"Okay!" she chirped. "History and legend!" She dropped a pile of books in front of me labeled with things from ancient languages to the different monuments in the world. Whipping out her pointer stick, she spun around a globe and stopped it precisely on Sybak. She squeezed her eyelids together as she thought of a question to give me. "Hmmm… Now, Seles, what is the significance of the research in this city?"

This was easy. "They have made several newfound discoveries of the ancient times of when the dinosaurs roamed the planet and have unearthed some fossilized remains. They also study a variety of other things that have brought the world into an age of science."

"Good," she smiled, placing her hand on her chin. "Now flip to page 837 of _Legends of the Vanishing Country_." I stared down at the book she wanted me to open. It was so thick… It had to have at least 900 pages. Nevertheless, I took up the book and flipped to the page.

Marissa stood by the globe and traced an imaginary circle around a large section of the ocean between the Meltokian and Altimarian continents. "According to what I've read in the past, a few millennia ago our ancestors believed that a whole country that rested here one day disappeared. But how could this have occurred? Several thousands of people were gone. A whole landmass and its people cannot just go away." There was the gleam of strict passion for understanding in her eyes. I began to wonder about thought as well. Marissa walked to the side and pushed her glasses farther up the bridge of her nose as she continued. "As an explanation for what happened, they merely said that they were somehow spirited away to the moon- Sylverant." Her voice quieted for a moment, and she perked up once more. "But this was just a legend. There is no definite thing that proves another country like that ever existed. What is true is that we were at war with _a_ country. No one is exactly certain what the country was, if it even reformed with ours. It's an intriguing mystery, no?" I nodded and finally examined the text on the page of the book.

My eyes widened. At the center of the page, there was a picture there of eight feathers surrounding two crossed swords that had a ribbon loosely wrapped around them. "Wait. This is-." I looked up at the priestess.

She smiled in confirmation. "So you noticed. It's your family's seal."

"But why is it so important?" I pressed my hand against the page and tried to read the passages. I frowned. The letters were written not in our language. I could feel my head begin to ache. A hand placed on my right shoulder.

Marissa chucked softly and looked at the page. "Oh, yes. This entire book is in Angelic, besides the title. I'll be more than willing to teach you how to read it, if you'd like."

I glanced up at her with some excitement. "…Really?" A smile tugged at my lips.

"Of course! You might find it useful for if…" She paused as if something just passed her mind. "Uh, let's conclude our study session for today." I don't really know what that was about, but I'd rather not think about it. Marissa asked me to help her put away the books and sent me off to my room.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The day seemed to slow down, as does every day. Between meals, I would treat myself to a nice book and whisk myself away from reality. I already had lunch and dinner, so I wouldn't be leaving my room until tomorrow. I just brushed my pink hair after slipping back into my thin, white sleeping gown and stared into my mirror. My eyes looked a little more dull than usual. I guess doing the same routine everyday for a little over 7 years puts a toll on your perception of color and feeling toward life itself. I sighed and set my brush on my table, standing up.

Taking up the book I started the day before from off of the shelf, I slumped my body against my bed. My bangs flew back, cooling my forehead. My bed was firm under my back, no uncomfortable lumps bothered me. I stretched my arms out with the book out in front of me. The azure cover reminded me of the sky. The gold-tipped edges of the pages made me think of greedy money lovers and poor people. That thought annoyed me, so I immediately found the page I left on and creased it open with my thumb.

I was just beginning to absorb myself into the story when I heard a servant shout, "Look there! It's a boat!" I lifted my head from the distant world inside my book before tagging where I left off.

…A boat? That's odd. Why would someone be coming to this place in the middle of nowhere? Naturally curious, I strode over to my window and gazed to the sea. There, in the sparkling blue water was a tiny wooden boat. A single man was rowing with an ore in each hand, moving across the water in a rhythmic motion. I don't know why he had it on exactly, but the man was wearing a suit. Doesn't he know it'll get wet or something? I know I shouldn't have been feeling this way, but… I was glad that there was at last something new occurring.

I could hear several feet scuffling off outside. Everyone was wondering what was going on. It wasn't the day for the supply ship to come and it was too late for anyone to be coming anyhow. The many voices diminished, and I was left to assume what was happening.

But in all of the commotion, I realized that the guards that are supposed to stand watch in front of my room abandoned their posts to make sure everything was under control. That meant I was free to leave my room! This was my chance to see everything for myself. I lifted my dress and dashed out of my room.

The whole abbey was empty, except for my being here. My feet were bare as I darted across the floor to the entrance, but I wasn't worried about it. I cautiously creaked open the door. Everyone was at the edge of the cliff, staring off, their eyes fixated on the man who just stepped on land. I could not resist the urge to smile as I sped off for a closer look.

The man hurried to the abbey. His black suit had a red tie and he wore a pair of white gloves. It took him a few minutes to actually reach the abbey, but no one besides me seemed to notice or care.

"Hello!" he called out. "Uh… This is the South Eastern Abbey?" He appeared to have been expecting more than this building. He climbed the stone path up to the guards. Marissa stepped forward to greet the man.

"Welcome. I'm sorry, but you've created quite a stir. Everyone came out to see and, well, here we are. What may you need?"

The man cleared his throat. "Oh, I'm here to see someone… Mm?" He scanned who was in the present group and raised an eyebrow. "Uh… None of you look ten… Unless I'm mistaken…" His voice made it sound like he had nasal problems and was not breathing through his nose. He peered around once more.

"…Who are you looking for?"

"Hm? Oh! Oh, yes. I didn't say? …Oh, I'm looking for Miss… Seles Wilder, yes."

"Me?" Everyone looked at me. Oops. It just slipped out. Their stares seemed to have mixed emotions.

Marissa put her hands to her waist. "Seles! You know you shouldn't be outside!"

I scratched my head, a blush pushing its way up my cheeks. "Eheheh. I'm sorry."

The man was somehow beside me, his hand cupping his chin. "Ah, so you're Miss Seles." He inhaled and announced proudly, "I am Tokunaga. I have been sent here by the Chosen One, Master Zelos Wilder, to come here." I twitched, staring at the man with shock.

…No… Not _him_.

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_Before any little questions arise, Tokunaga is not (a stuffed animal) an original character. He's actually in the game. And those of you who really didn't know, Seles is kind of a secret (NPC) character and her story is somewhat hidden as well. But upon popular belief, during the time of when Zelos was in Lloyd's group, Seles was 12 or 13. At the moment of this chapter, she is 10. I actually don't know what the Wilder family seal would look like, so I just made something up (just try to guess the significance). I suggest that if you want to know more about her, do the Meltokio Coliseum single battles (but a certain person has to be alive, then go back when he's dead) and/or do the Zelos path. Other than those options and extensive research, you have my fic! Yay for you! Just keep in mind, this is still an AU. :D The stuff about the two continents, I do believe that is how they are called. I just may have screwed up the spelling. According to my research, it should be close enough… I hope._

_Other news: The _Tales of Symphonia OVA episode one_ is out, but you'll just have to find it (hee). I've already watched it cuz my brother downloaded it (high quality!) and put it on CD for me. But he had to translate the non-obvious things they said for me to understand parts. I HATE claymations!! Icky, bleh! My brother and I were near choking. I liked the omake theatre, though. I love the music. Now he promises to try to remember to get me the TotA OST (yays!). So watch the OVA!!_

…_Okay. I'm done with my blabs. I wanna know what __you__ think!_


	3. Regretting the Recollections

_Err… The same excuse as last time… (sweat) Sorry. I've also been drawing smexy pictures of Zelos! (dies because I said that) …Well, it's part of my doujinshi of this story! It's turning out pretty. But I'm only in the prologue. XP And I'm probably a better artist than I am a writer… Oh, and I recently realized that I kept putting that Seles' eyes were pink. They're actually blue… Yeah… Did anyone even notice that but didn't tell me? Well, I'll fix that in the previous chapters sometime if I'm not being lazy about it._

_Um, this chap is in 3rd person. Hmmm… I don't like the title of this one._

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_Regretting the Recollections_

Her heart skipped a beat. "Zelos…" she whispered. The name left an unpleasant taste in her mouth.

Tokunaga bowed sincerely and cleared his throat. "Also, the Chosen has asked that I deliver this to you." He dug his gloved hand into his right pocket and pulled out a book-sized wooden box. The lid had a design of a tree etched in it so skillfully; one would suppose it was crafted by a master. It was outlined with a golden color which was further brought out by the redwood finish. It was sealed with a simple, yet intricate looking silver latch and hinged on the opposite end with the same material.

As the container was set in Seles' hands, she found it was much lighter that what she expected. The girl glanced at the man before hesitantly lifting the cover open. She peered at the contents inside, her eyes widening. The base of the box was matted with a single velvet cushion. On the crimson cloth rested a darker hued crystal. It glinted in the light, tempting her to touch its smooth surface. The gold, teardrop shaped metal molded around it was as sleek as the crystal. "This is… his Cruxis Crystal…" she breathed somewhat baffled. Everyone drew closer to her in shock.

"That is correct. He asks that you "hang on to it for a while.""

Seles' hands shake involuntarily. The crystal belonged to someone. –Someone who she could not stand to think about. The red jewel that was in that case brought her flashes of things she wished long ago to go away. It would pose a constant reminder to her exactly why she is here. Her hands began to shake more violently and she stuttered, "…N-no. I can't keep this. I won't keep it!" She lets the open case fall free from her hands. Tokunaga, not wanting the Chosen's possessions to be dirtied, panics and scrambles to catch it before the crystal could hit the dirt ground.

With the box and crystal safely in his hands, the brunette man tried to convince the girl otherwise. "M-Miss Seles! You must reconsider!" he pleaded. "If the Chosen wishes it-!"

The pink-haired girl balled her fist, squeezing her eyelids together. "The Chosen this! The Chosen that! I want nothing to do with my br- the Chosen! Just leave and tell him that!" She was about to shout out more when a firm hand slapped her across the cheek. Seles touched her tingling face.

Marissa glared at the girl, her hand ready to give another smack if needed. She frowned. "Seles! You cannot act this way! You do not explode on people like this, do you understand!? This is a house of Martel, for Goddess sake!" Seles wholeheartedly stared at the ground, not willing to respond. The priestess faced Tokunaga with her stern face still present. "I apologize for her actions. Now, is this all you have come for?"

"…Actually, I suppose I am to stay here and ensure Seles' health remains well."

Seles lifted her head. "What? No!" she rejected.

"Seles!" The girl sharply exhaled through her nose and looked back down. Marissa glanced at the child once more and sighed. "Mr. Tokunaga, you _are_ well aware that no men are allowed at this abbey besides the guards, yes?"

"I understand that, but I am not expected to go back often. Seles' condition is what's important."

The older woman pushed her jet black hair out of one of her eyes and considered a thought. "Hm. I assume we may bend the rules a little, yes?" No one else, besides Seles, minded and the guards only cared that no problems would occur. Marissa took the box from Tokunaga and handed it to Seles. "…You will only need to keep it safe. That is all."

"Fine," she agreed bitterly. The ten year old quickly stomped off into the abbey, digging her nails into the wood of the case.

Seles threw the box on to her table, not caring what would happen to the crystal inside. The sun was finally diminishing before the horizon. Seles laid still on her bed, eyes closed, trying to force herself to go to sleep. But the little voices in her mind prevented herself from doing so until an hour later.

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_The blinding yellow sun was high above the clouds, illuminating the kingdom with plentiful light. Butterflies rested on the blooming flowers, fluttering their patterned wings to prepare them for a new day's flight. The eye-catching colors and elegant form of the flowers emphasized the grand beauty of the mansion behind them. The wind blew past the carefully trimmed trees and bushes next to the building; the hush of the healthy leaves not adding any disturbance to the calm of the day. Two identical stone statues stood proudly on the front lawn, overseeing the surroundings; their strong extended arms served as the perfect perch for the birds. Nobles strolled about with their noses high in the air, not wasting their precious time fraternizing with the servants._

_Arousing the silent day, a young, scarlet haired boy flew passed the people to reach his home. His hair was tightly tied up, whipping behind him. He was evidently the child of nobility; his white shirt frilled at the ends and neatly tucked in. He reached the foot of his mansion and pushed his way through the doors with a bit of haste._

"_I'm home!" he called out, a cheerful but somewhat bothered grin on his face. In the lavish living room, a small girl with a frilly purple dress hopped off of the black leather sofa and eagerly tottered her way to the boy with her teddy bear in hand._

"_Big Brother!" Her strawberry hair flapped up and down in her pigtails, laser blue ribbons keeping her bangs out of her eyes as she ran._

_Stopping an inch in front of the older boy, she thrust the brown bear to his face. "Mr. Snuggles and I missed you." Her babyish voice innocently slurred together some words. The boy chuckled at the bear's scrunched up face. He patted the girl's pink head._

"_Aw, Seles. I was only gone for an hour."_

_Retracting the bear into the safety of her arms, the child looked up and caught the sight of something red shining below the boy's collar bone. "Zewos… What's that?" She pointed her stubby index finger at it._

_Zelos stepped back. "It's nothing."_

_The little girl stared into the older child's sky blue eyes with her own cobalt ones; a puzzled expression befell her face. Her gaze soon landed back on the thing she saw. It was a round, blood red crystal mounted on a golden surface._

_The shape and appearance seemed familiar to her, which caused her eyes to become larger. The outline of a man came to her mind… A man with similar red hair as the boy's but shorter and clean cut around the ears and neck. There was no sign of a smile on his face, but at the base of his neck was a crystal. The pink haired child opened her mouth in complete recollection. "That was Daddy's!" Her eyebrows pushed together._

_The redheaded boy sighed as if he did not want to say this. "Seles… I was next in line. So it was given to me…"_

"_But it was Daddy's!" she screeched. Blobs of tears began to drip from her face._

"_I- I know! But-!" Seles continued wailing. Was the boy really supposed to have it? Why? It was someone else's once!_

_Seles' screams echoed throughout the room. Zelos could not stand it but he didn't it to come to this. He clenched his right hand and shouted, "BUT HE'S DEAD, SELES!" Everything became deathly silent and darkness shrouded the room._

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Seles snapped her eyes open and looked around. Her surroundings were that of her room in the abbey. _'…A dream…'_ It was already early morning. The sun peeked through the curtains, but it was enough to silhouette the objects in the room. Not at all groggy, she went to wipe her eyes to find they were wet. The whole surface of her cheeks, her chin and neck, it was all covered in the salty liquid.

The girl bent forward, dreading that memory for coming back to her. She wiped her face with her seaweed colored sleeve and was left transfixed to the covers of her bed, other things flooding her mind. _'Why did he leave his Cruxis Crystal to me? …Maybe he's trying to taunt me. Maybe things are going out of hand over there. I wonder how he's…'_ Seles shook her head from side to side. _'Why should I think about it? It's none of my concern.'_ She glanced at the box that sat on her table across the room. _'I don't even remember my father's face, and my mother's… I…'_ She flipped herself over and breathed into her pillow. The heat of her breath warmed her face as she quietly moaned.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Miss Seles? You're already up?" Seles had a chair pulled by the window and she stared out mutely. "Uh, Miss Seles?"

"What?"

"Breakfast will be ready shortly. As always, I'll put your dress right here…" Seles didn't bother to look and heard the sound of her clothes being laid out on her bed.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Tokunaga was already sitting at the breakfast table, sipping a cup of tea. Everyone gathered around and the plates were spread out in front of them. "…So it looks like we have another mouth to feed…" one of the maids joked.

The new man was apparently a chatterbox. Starting a conversation, he left no time for himself to eat. Seles quietly sipped on her morning tea and stared at the talking man's double chin. His chin seemed to protrude far enough that it could catch water. The pink-haired girl was less than interested in what he had to say, but she listened.

"So… How is the Chosen?" The priestess asked.

"Ah, well he is at the top of his class in the Imperial Research Academy."

Seles snorted softly. _'That idiot brother of mine must be cheating in some way. He was _never_ good at history, or anything for that matter.'_

"His skills and understanding of math far exceeds most I know of." Tokunaga took a breath at last to drink from porcelain cup. He glanced at Seles with question. "Oh, Seles. You have certainly been quiet." The ten year old gulped down the rest of her food and gave the man a look. Tokunaga brought his cup to his mouth and muttered, "Mm… Seles, I have consulted with your caretakers. After breakfast, I will be giving you martial arts lessons outside."

Seles' skin paled. "What?"

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_Mmm… I hated how flat the end turned out… And writing in first person is hard for me. That's why this ended up in third. But this did not really seem especially wonderful either. I also notice that I only spend a span of one to three days typing… I guess that's my fault. Oh, well._

_Uh… Does anyone believe that, like Colette, Zelos was born with the Cruxis Crystal and was presented with it by the Oracle? Hm? Please care to interject. But so far as I'm concerned, he got it from his late father because where do you find some "Martel Temple" around Meltokio or wherever? Oh, could you tell that the dream Seles had was a flashback of some sort without me having to write "flashback"? …Well, yay to short-ish chapters. Now remember to review, and I'll shower you with pocky! Yum!_


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